Additional broadcast information includes control information that informs an idle-mode UE or a sleep-mode UE of not only extended system parameter and configuration information but also the presence or absence of a downlink signal, and is then transmitted through a traffic channel.
The extended system parameter and configuration information is not necessary for a UE accessing the network, but it has system configuration parameter and information needed for the UE that has accessed the network.
A variety of the extended system parameter and configuration information may be used, for example, handover-associated information, multiple input multiple output (MIMO)-associated information, relay-associated information, multicarrier-associated information, femtocell-associated information, enhanced multicast broadcast service (EMBS) information, inter radio access technology (inter-RAT)—associated information, neighbor-cell-associated information, etc.
A variety of broadcast messages may be used, for example, system configuration descriptor message (SCD) message, a neighbor advertisement (NBR-ADV) message, a traffic indication (hereinafter referred to as ‘TRF-IND’) message, a BS broadcast paging (hereinafter referred to as ‘PAG-ADV’) message, a paging ID information (PGID) message, an SS network clock comparison (hereinafter referred to as ‘CLK-CMP’) message, a service identity broadcast (hereinafter referred to as ‘SII-ADV’) message, a location information broadcast for LBS (hereinafter referred to as “LBS-ADV”) message, etc.
The SCD message includes handover information, MIMO information, EMBS information and inter-RAT information.
The NBR-ADV message includes information about neighbor BSs.
The TRF-IND message is transmitted to a UE during the listening time of the sleep-mode UE, and indicates the presence or absence of a signal to be transmitted to the UE.
FIG. 1 shows a superframe structure. As shown in FIG. 1, one superframe includes 4 frames, and one frame includes 8 subframes. If the ratio of a downlink to an uplink is 5:3, one frame includes 5 downlink subframes and 3 uplink subframes.
The foremost downlink subframe of the superframe includes a superframe header (SFH).
The SFH includes a system parameter and system configuration information. The SFH is divided into a primary SFH (P-SFH) and a secondary SFH (S-SFH).
The P-SFH is transmitted in all superframes. The S-SFH is transmitted once at intervals of one or more superframes. Information transmitted over the S-SFH is divided into a plurality of subpackets.
Advanced MAP (A-MAP) transmits unicast service control information. The unicast service control information includes UE-specific control information and non-user-specific control information. The UE-specific control information is divided into assignment information, HARQ feedback information, and power control information, each of which is transmitted through assignment A-MAP, HARQ feedback A-MAP (HARQ feedback A-MAP), power control A-MAP, etc.
All A-MAPs share physical resources called the A-MAP region.
FIG. 2 shows the A-MAP region. Referring to FIG. 2, the A-MAP region is present per Nsubframe,A-MAP subframe of the frame.
FIG. 2(a) shows the case in which Nsubframe,A-MAP is set to 2. Referring to FIG. 2(a), if Nsubframe,A-MAP is set to 2, the A-MAP region is present per two subframes. If Nsubframe,A-MAP is set to 1, the A-MAP region is present per subframe.
The UE has to decode a broadcast message to obtain the latest additional broadcast information every time. Continuously recognizing the presence or absence of a message until the idle-mode UEs or the sleep-mode UEs receive broadcast messages is far from efficient. In addition, if the UE is switched from the idle mode or the sleep mode to the active mode, there occurs an unexpected transfer delay until receiving a broadcast message.